The present invention is directed to a tufted buffing pad and, more particularly, to a tufted buffing pad that includes means for preventing the tufts of buffing material adjacent the center of the pad from interfering with the mounting of the buffing pad onto a power buffer.
Buffing pads for use in high speed polishing of automobiles and the like may be one-sided or two-sided. A one-sided buffing pad is typically circular and comprises a buffing medium (e.g., foam, wool, etc.) attached to one face of a rigid backing plate which is attached by a central hub to the drive shaft or spindle of a motor for a power buffer. The buffing medium may be permanently attached to the backing plate or releasably attached thereto in order to allow for replacement without disposing of the backing plate. A two-sided buffing pad includes buffing medium attached to each face of a rigid backing plate. The plate includes a hub for releasably attaching the buffing pad to the drive shaft or spindle of the buffing motor. The pad may be attached to the drive shaft or spindle of the motor from either side of the buffing pad, thereby allowing the pad to be reversed after one side has been used.
Typically, such buffing pads include tufts of wool or other natural or synthetic fibers as the buffing medium. It is also known to use a foam material, for example, an open-cell polyurethane foam, as the buffing medium. Tufted pads, particularly those using wool, are, however, preferred by some workers and are considered by some to be superior to foam pads.